Fastening device for switchboard connecting-cords.



PA-TENTED 0011.23, 1906.

B. B. CRAFT. FASTENING DEVICE FOR SWITOHBOARD CONNECTING corms.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 7. 1904.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD B. CRAFT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRICCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed December '7, 1904:.Serial N0. 235,852.

Patented Oct. 23, 1906.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. CRAFT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fastening Devices forSwitchboard Connecting-Cords, of which the following is a full, clear,concise, and exact description.

Telephone-switchboard cords are attached to a cord-shelf at the rear ofthe switchboard, the slack of the cord being maintained taut by a weightsuspended from a'pulley riding in the bight of the cord. A portion ofthe cord-covering is extended without containing any conductors and isused for suspending the cord to the rear edge of the cord-shelf. Thisportion of the cord is usually termed the tie-cord. This tie-cord in anycase being shorter than the conductors which are attached to theirbinding-posts relieves the conductors from all strain from the weight.At the end of the tie-cord is provided a metal eyelet which is adaptedto pass over a suit- ,able hook.

Heretofore three different styles of hooks have been employed with whichI am familiar: First, I mention the common screwhook; second, ascrew-hook in which the loop is brought up and bent to meet the shank,making it necessary to spring the end out in order to place the eyeletof the suspendingcord over the same third, I mention a rightangled wirehook, several of these being screwed into a plate and soldered, theupright open end of each hook being of such form that the eyelet maypass over the same. These various forms have been largely used, the twoformer practically ever since flexible cords have been used intelephone-switchboard service. All these former styles of hooks possesscertain objections which have resulted in considerable trouble. Thesmall screw-hook being inserted in the edge of the shelf and its endbeing open permits the eyelet to be drawn off, resulting in bringingstrain upon the conductors, and the installation of such screw-hooksrequired care and individual treatment. The second form, in which thefree end was bent up against the shank, has not been satisfactory, forthe reason that the eyelet is liable to be bent and broken, this formalso requiring that each hook shall be handled and inserted separately.The third form, while possessing the advantage that it may bemanufactured and installed in strips, is quite expensive to build andhas the disadvantage of the first form in that the eyelet is liable tobe accidentally thrown off, so as to bring a strain upon the conductors.

My invention contemplates a fastening device comprising a metal striphaving transverse tongues stamped therefrom to form hooks, the upperends of said hooks extending mwardly and close to the surface of thestrip, together with eyelets adapted to be supported by said hooks, theinner diameters of said eyelets being less than the length of theinwardly-projecting ends of said tongues. With this construction aneyelet, to be placed upon or removed from a hook, must be completelyreversed in position, and so cannot be accidentally dislodged.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates a section of thecordshelf with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview of the metal plate provided with the integral tongues or cars, andFig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing the manner of placing theeyelets upon the hook.

Like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference throughout thedifferent figures.

The cord-shelf 0 extends to the rear of the switchboard, and on the rearor inner edge is mounted the strip 1). This strip may be of brass, andtransverse tongues or ears 0 c c c are formed therein, as shown,preferably by stamping. Open slots are thus left in the strip back ofthe tongues, and each tongue 0 is bent at its upper end backwardly, sothat the free end thereof approaches closely to the surface of thestrip 1) at the upper portion thereof. An eyelet, as indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 3, may be readily thrust under the free end of a tongueand passed onto the bar of the hook and brought into the positionindicated by the full lines in said Fig. 3 The eyelets have innerdiameters less than the length of the inwardly-projecting ends of saidtongues c, said eyelets preferably comprising flat metal punchings withsmall holes therein, the distance between said holes and the outer edgesof said punchings being greater than the distance between saidprojecting tongue ends and the surface of the strip. When once in place,the eyelet cannot be disengaged from the hook by any manipulation of thecordthat is to say, in order that the eyelet may be taken off from thehook it is necessary to bring the top of the tie-cord to the positionindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, which cannot be done by anymanipulation of the cords in making connections or disconnections withthe switches upon the face of the telephone-switchboard. In otherwords,to place an evelet upon or remove it from a hook its position must becompletely reversed.

The strips are made of such length as may be required. I have made thehooks upon inch centers and half-inch centers and have made the stripsof suflicient length for ten and sometimes fifteen hooks.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, the following:

In a telephone-switchboard, the combination with a cord-terminal shelf,of a metal strip secured to the edge of said shell, said striphavingtransverse tongues stamped therefrom and forming hooks, the upper endsof said tongues extending inwardly and close to the surface of saidstrip, flexible conducting-cords, and eyelets upon the tie-cords thereofadapted to be supported by said hooks, said eyelets comprising flatmetal punchings with small holes therein, of diameters less than thelength of the inwardly-projecting ends of said tongues, the distance between said holes and the other edges of said punchings being greaterthan the distance between said inwardly-projecting tongue and thesurface of the strip; whereby to place an eyelet upon or remove it froma hook, its position must be completely reversed.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day ofSeptember, A. D. 1904.

EDl/VARD B. CRAFT. Witnesses:

JOHN G. ROBERTS, FREDERICK P. McINTosH.

